Machine for expanding metal



EX PANDING METAL Filed May 2,, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 23, 1924. 9 99543 in. E, QUE-2mg,

MACHINE FOR EXPANDING META L Filed May 2, 1923 5 shee'ts sheet 2 lewbz @aawfii,

Sept. 23, 5924.

L. E CURTFQ MACHINE FOR EXPANDING METAL 5 Shets-$heet 5 Filed May 2, 1923 it. f

Sept. 23, 1924." 1,509,543

L. E. CURTIS MACHINE FOR EXPANDiNG METAL Filed May-"2, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS E. CURTIS, OF WARREN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE YOUNGSTOWN PRESSED STEEL COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

MACHINE FOR EXPANDING METAL.

Application filed May 2, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwis E. CURTIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at arren, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Machines for Expanding Metal, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in machines for expanding metal and more particularly to machines in which a previously slitted metal blank is expanded by deflection of its strands for the production of an open mesh lath. It will be fully understood from the following description, illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

I Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partially broken away, of one of the expander arms of the machine shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through one of the expander arms on the line 3--3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view, partially in section, of the device for adjusting the pressure rolls of the retaining chain of the expander arms;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the bed plate and lower body portion of one of the expander arms;

Fig. (3 illustrates a portion of a blank in partially expanded state;

Fig. 7 is a view showing a part of the lower face of the retaining chain employed in the expander arms; and

Fig. 8 a side elevation of the portion of the retaining chain shown in Fig. 7.

The machine ilhistrated in the drawings and embodying the present invention is of the type shown in my prior Patent No. 796,402 granted August 1, 1905, in which a previously slitted metal blank is expanded by deflection of its strands, for example, by feeding through a pair of expander arms, these arms diverging both vertically and laterally. The unexpanded portions of the blanks travel along the arms, which are provided with suitable guiding and retaining means therefor, the gradually enlarging portion between the diverging arms being expanded in the travel of the blanks. The unexpanded portions of the blanks held by the arms gradually diminishes in width as the Serial No. 636,092.

blank travels therethrough. The present invention relates more particularly to 1mprovements in the devices or mechanism for.

machine must be taken to pieces for the removal of the bent or buckled blank, and

must then. be put together and readjusted for operation. The feeding means forming part of the present invention and illustrated in one embodiment in the accompanying drawings, has been found to substantially avoid buckling or doubling up of the blanks passing through the machine and also to permit of operating with a greatly increased rate of feed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 15 indicates a suitable blank feeding device provided with feed rolls 1G by which previously slitted blanks are fed to the expander arms designated as a whole by the numerals 17 and 18 respectively. The expander arms 17 and 18 di verge from each other both vertically and laterally, and are each adjustably supported for example, as described in the patentof myself and another No. 1,493,965, granted May 13, 1924. Thus the arm 17 may suitably be pivotally mounted on the shaft 19 secured to a vertically movable bracket 20 slidably mounted on the feeding device 15, and the opposite end of the arm 17 may be provided with a downwardly projecting arm 21 provided with a bolt 22 which enters a radial slot in a suitable supporting memher 2 1 to permit of proper adjustment of the outer end of the arm 17. Similar adjusting means are provided for the arm 18.

In the details of their construction, the expanders 17 and 18 are substantially identical, the various parts being, however, reversed in position. In the ensuing description, therefore, corresponding parts of the two expander arms are designated by the same numerals.

Each of the expander arms 17 and 18 is formed with a substantially lei-shaped body member or casting; 25, which, as hereinafter more fully pointed out, serves as a support for the bed plate or guide and the independ ent teed rolls coacting therewith. Co-oper ating with the supporting member is a second body member 26, which likewise -1- tends longitudinally of the arms and is sccured to the men'iber by any suitable means, such as the bolts 27 Suitable bearings are provided in each member for the arbors or shafts 27 carry ing'the feed rolls 2S and also for the counter shat'ts 29 carrying the gears 30 which intermesh with the gears 31 mounted on the shafts 27. The feed rolls 28 are preferably grooved, the arrangement ot grooves corresponding with the arrangement of the rolls or the dcpressions formed in the blanks during the slitting operation. If desired, the rolls 28 may be formed of laminated construction, for example, as described in the prior patent of myscli and another hereinbetore referred. to. The bed or way for the unexpanded edge portion of the blank may suitably be formed with openings through which the feed rolls 28 pass. This bed or way, designated as a whole by the numeral 32, may, for example, be formed of spacers 33, the ends of which rest against a plate 3% secured to the member 25 and are held in position by the nuts 3:), as illustrated in the prior application just referred to. As described in that application, the bed plate may be provided with grooves or slots by a proper arrangement of spacers of varying heights, the arrangement of grooves or slots corresponding to the arrangements of grooves in the feed rolls 28. As shown in Fig. 5, the width of the bed plate gradually diminishes in accordance with the diminishing width of the unexpanded portion of the metal blank held by it and the outer margin of the bed or way 32 is formed by a series of plates or bars 36, the exposed portions of which form a sub stantially continuous stepped or shouldered marginal portion 31'. At the end at which it r-ceives the metal blank, the bed or way 32 is brought into aline substantially parallel with the line of feed of the center oi": the sheet, as shown at 32 in Fig. 2. A narrow grooved plate 38 extends along the member just within the bed 32 and the feed rolls 28, and at its outer end is extended along a line substantially parallel with the line o'f movement of the center of the sheet, as shown at It will be noted that the grooved bed or way 32 is gradually tapered, and that its margin is rormed with the steps or shoulders 37. These steps or shoulders correspond to the points of deflection of the strands in the opening or exjiianding ot the mesh. In Fig. 6 a partially opened piece of a slitted blank is shown, the nnexpanded edge portion of gradually diminishing width being indicated by the numeral 39 and the expanded portion by the numeral 39 On the frame member 26 are mounted the sprocket wheels l0 and ll, about which passes the link belt or chain 4-2, the preferred construction of which is more fully hereinat'ter described. to travel at a rate of speed substantially the same as that of movement of the metal blank through the machine and serves as a travelling retaining member to hold the unexpanded portion oi? the sheet metal blank in eng 'agement with the bed 32 and feed rolls 28. The chain 42 is held in its proper spaced relation to the bed 32 and feed rolls 28, by the idler rolls 43, which are mounted on a frame member 26 by suitable means permitting of their adjustment on a line substantially perpendicular to the bed 32. In the form oi con.- st'ruction illustrated, the rolls 43 are mounted on shafts 44c journaled in the sleeves do which are rotatably mounted in the frame members 26. On the outside of the trams members 26 the sleeves 45 are provided with flanges a -(l having PI'OjQClLiDg tongues 4-7 to which are pivotally secured threaded rods 48. The rods 48 pass through openings in a ledge 49 termed in the frame member 26 and the adjustment of the rolls 4-3 is secured by rotation of the sleeves Pressure is exerted by a coil. spring 51 which is interposed between the nut and the ledge 49 on each rod.

The chain or belt 42 is so constructed as to provide a substantially grooved face, the groovings corresponding to the natural rows of depressions and elevations on the sheet metal blank resulting from the operation oft slitting. In the form of chain illustrated in the drawing, this result is accomplished by building up the chain of series of fiat links, the width of these links corresponding to the width of the strands cut in the sheet or blank. In building up the chain, transverse .rows are formed of links 52 and which are united by transverse rows oil? links 54: and 55. The latter do not project outward as l ar from the pivot points of the links as do the links 52 and 53. It will be noted that in the two series of links, the links 52 and 53 are similar in form except for the provision of indentations 52 in the links 52, and the links 54 and are likewise similar in form except for th provision of indentations 54: in the links 54. In arranging the two series of links in their respective rows, links of the types of and 5e are provided in proper position for co-operation with the teeth of the sprocket wheels 4.0 and i1. On the sides of the chain, in line with the rows of links 54 and 55, heavier links 55 ot the same con tour as the links 55 are provided.

In each of the expander arms, a cover plate 56 is provided on the inner face of This belt or chain is caused each arm to protect the chain 42. Suitable openings 57 are provided in this plate for access to the rolls 43.

In. order to drive the machine, power applied to the feed rolls 19 is transmitted by suitable belts 58 to pulleys 59 mounted on extended portions of the shafts 60 carrying the sprocket wheels 41. The extended portions of these shafts are in part supported by the brackets 65. From another pulley or sprocket 61 on the shaft (30 a chain (32 drives a sprocket (53 mounted on an extended. portion 25 of the shaft 29 of one of the gears 30. To the gear 30 the chain of gears 31 and 32 driving the feed rolls 28 is operated.

In the operation of the device, a metal blank previously provided with the necessary slits by any suitable cutting device (not shown), is fed by the feeding device system to the diverging expander arms 18 and 19. The blanks are fed along the arms by the feed rolls 28, the unexpanded edge portions of the blanks being retained on the bed 32 by the chains 42, which are adjusted by the means hereinbefore described. The beds 32 are of gradually diminishing width, and as the intermediate strands pass over the stepped margin 87 of these steps, they are deflected, the expansion of the blank being thereby effected. The bed 32, the feed rolls 28 and the retaining chain 42 are provided with grooves as already described, which conform to the depressions or deformations in the blank resulting from the slitting operation.

I claim:

1. In a machine for expanding previously slitted metal blanks, a bed or way, means for feeding the unexpanded portion of a blank along said bed or way, means for expanding the metal blank by deflection of the strands thereof, and retaining means adapted to hold said blank in engagement with the bed or way, said retaining means being adapted to travel along said bed or way with the blank.

2. In a machine for expanding previously slitted metal blanks, a bed or way, means for feeding the nnexpanded portion of a blank along said bed or way, means for expanding the metal blank by deflection of the strands thereof, and retaining means having grooves corresponding to the deformations of the blank and adapted to engage the latter, said retaining means being adapted to travel along said bed or way with the blank.

In machine for expanding metal, a substantially stationary bed, means for feeding the nnexpanded portion of a previously slitted blank along said bed, means for expanding the metal blank by deflection of the strands thereof, and means for retaining the blank in contact with the stationary bed, said means travelling with the blank along the bed.

ted blank along said bed, means for expanding the metal blank by deflection of the strands thereof, and means grooved to correspond to the deformations of the blank for retaining the blank in contact with the grooved bed, said means travelling with the blank along the bed.

6. In a machine for expanding metal, a stationary bed, independent means for feed ing a previously slitted blank therealong, a grooved member adapted to engage the blank and hold it against the bed, and means for moving the grooved member concurrently with the blank.

7. In a machine for expanding metal, a stationary bed or way, relatively stationary feed rolls below said bed and co-operating therewith to feed a previously slitted blank there-along, means for expanding the metal of the blank in its travel along said bed, and retaining means travelling along said bed with the metal blank and adapted to hold the latter in contact with the bed.

8. In a machine for expanding metal, astationary bed provided with openings, relatively stationary feed rolls disposed to enter said openings and to feed a previously slitted metal blank there-along, means for expanding the metal blank fed along said bed, and a. travelling chain movable along said bed with the blank and adapted to hold the latter against the bed.

9. In a machine for expanding metal, a stationary bed provided with openings, relatively stationary feed rolls disposed to enter said openings and to feed a previously slitted metal blank there-along, means for expanding the metal blank fed along said bed, a travelling chain movable along said bed with the blank and adapted to hold the latter against the bed, and means for adjusting the position of the travelling chain with. respect to said bed.

10. In a machine for expanding metal, a tapered, grooved stationary bed, independent feeding means co-operating therewith to feed a previously slitted metal blank therealong, means for expanding the metal of said blank in its travel along said bed, retaining means provided with a grooved face, said retaining means engaging and holding the metal blank against the bed, and means pended portion of said blank resting on said for movlng sa1d retammg means W1th the beds, retammg means co-operatmg wlth 10 blank as the latter travels 211011 the bed. each of sald beds to hold the unex Janded 11. In a machme i01 ex anclm metal a )OltlODS 0f the blank there-a amst and b 7 9 palr 0t dlvergmg arms havmg tapered, means ior movlng sald retannng means grooved beds, mdependent feed rolls co-opalong sald bed W1tl1 the blank. eratmg wlth sald beds to feed a prevlously V shtted metal blank there-along, the unex- LEWIS E. CURTIS. 

